Course content

SQA Road Safety - Delivering the Framework

Road safety professionals can take advantage of a unique industry standard qualification – the first of its kind in the UK - launched in 2014 by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Aimed at individuals with a professional interest or direct involvement in road casualty reduction, the SQA Road Safety Course, will equip current and new road safety professionals with the specialist knowledge, delivery skills and analytical capabilities needed to reduce road deaths.

RoSPA, who have been at the heart of accident prevention in the UK and around the world for nearly a hundred years, have tailored the course and qualification to meet the needs of Scotland's road safety professionals, on behalf of Transport Scotland.

The qualification, has been approved by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at level 7 (advanced higher/A Level), and will recognise the skills and professionalism of road safety practitioners across the country.

When launched, Sandy Allan, RoSPA's road safety manager in Scotland, explained: "For a number of years, the skills of road safety professionals have not been fully recognised, and after researching the core skills required of a road safety officer, we have devised a unique and relevant programme.

"Approval through the SQA will make this qualification, which is unique in the United Kingdom at this level, the industry standard.

"Road safety today is far more than just teaching children to cross the road. The learning outcomes from this programme will equip all successful candidates with the skills necessary to reduce casualties on our roads."

He added: "Road safety has been delivered by professionals for a great number of years, yet there has until now, never been a recognised industry standard qualification.

"The introduction of this training programme is the ideal opportunity for those now assuming responsibility for road safety in Scotland to equip their staff with the necessary skills."

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "I welcome the launch of this new SQA-accredited road safety qualification, which will improve the professional standing of our road safety officers and help ensure consistent good practice in road safety education across Scotland. One life lost on Scotland's roads is one too many and the Scottish Government will continue to work with our road safety partners to ensure everyone plays their part when it comes to making our roads safer."

Aims and objectives of SQA Road Safety Course

This qualification, which is unique at this level in UK, will provide everyone coming into road safety with the same basic grounding in road safety knowledge, information and resources. There is also the potential for these SQA courses to be delivered within approved establishments across UK. The course is for candidates with a professional or personal interest or involvement in road casualty reduction in UK.

The course aims to:

Bring together professionals whose remit includes road safety and road casualty reduction. This can include fire, road and community safety officers, health and safety personnel, fleet and driver trainers, school travel, social work and children and families

Contribute to partnership working and information sharing across each individual country, for example, Scotland

Gain employer and employee recognition

Be customised SQA credit rated award with the possibility of building on units to suit changing developments within the Scottish Government Road Safety Framework to 2020 and the Department for Transport Strategic Framework which was published in 2011.

The three main objectives to the qualification are to:

Provide professionals from varying backgrounds with a good basic grounding and overview of the road safety landscape in Scotland to enable them to carry out their work fully informed and with confidence.

Allow practitioners to achieve a greater and more in depth level of understanding about specific subjects relevant to their work.

Put road safety into the lifelong learning arena for people from all professional backgrounds / walks of life.

Course Details

Course details, including policies and procedures, will be available as downloadable documents on the website www.scottishroadsafety.com at SQA members' area.

The SQA section of the website will be password protected and accessible only by those who are undertaking, or who have undertaken the courses.

Most of the units are designed to be undertaken through open learning and require written or oral evidence submissions. There are a few units which may also require evidence by video submission or which may also require attendance at a practical session such as In Car Safety.

It is anticipated that there will be optional training available to support some of the specialist topics.

SQA Course Content

The course is delivered through a combination of open learning in the workplace, face to face tutorials / seminars and practical exercises. The course currently comprises of an SQA credit rated award.

"Road Safety – Specialisms within the Framework (Scotland)" will be for candidates who have an interest in more specialist topics in Road Safety. The candidates will receive a RoSPA certificate for each unit.

Core units

Priority Vulnerable Road User Groups

Road Casualty Profile in Scotland

Partnership Working and Legislation

Resources, Education, Training and Publicity

Evaluation for Road Safety Practitioners

Presentation and Communication Skills

Specialist units*

In-Car Safety

Management of Occupational Road Risk - MORR

* The specialists units can each be taken independently. These would not be given an SQA award but would be SQA credit rated. A certificate would be given to the candidate.

Unit 1 - Priority Vulnerable Road will be suitable for candidates with either a professional or personal interest in road casualty reduction. Candidates who achieve this unit will have the ability to describe different types of road users, types of situations and risk factors involving particular road user groups as well as explain typical road collisions involving vulnerable road users. Candidates will be able to identify measures and methods that may be undertaken to help prevent them. On completion of this unit candidates will have the ability to identify priority road user groups, describe typical accidents involving a priority road user group and accident prevention methods, suggest what more can be done by road safety and plan an initiative to target the group.

Unit 2 - Road Casualty Profile outcomes ask candidates to provide an understanding of the current road casualty picture in Scotland in statistical terms, and allow the opportunity to explore this in a global or GB context or simply at more local level. The outcomes require candidates to demonstrate an understanding as to what accidents occur, where and when they happen, why and how they happen and provide an explanation of their impact including an awareness of using the word "accident". On completion of this unit candidates will be able to provide a strong analytical basis which could be used to inform road casualty interventions.

Unit 3 - Partnership Working and Legislation will provide the candidates with the ability to explain the structures already in place within road safety in Scotland. Candidates will also be in a position to see where their own role fits within the wide framework for road safety delivery and explain the legislative framework relevant to their own role. Candidates will be able to demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of the Highway Code as it applies to a variety of road users.

Unit 4 - Resources, Education, Training and Publicity will provide candidates with knowledge and the ability to deliver road safety programmes or interventions which include the use of education training and publicity resources leading to a variety of approaches to learning. On completion of the Unit candidates will have a good knowledge of where and how to access road safety resources and be able to demonstrate the use of at least two approach to learning within an educational or training environment.

Unit 5 - Evaluation for Road Safety Practitioners will be suitable for candidates who manage, design, deliver and/or evaluate road safety education, training and publicity (ETP) interventions. Candidates who achieve this unit should have the ability to competently complete, and report on, an evaluation.

Unit 6 - Presentation and Communication Skills - Candidates should be in a position to make use of the learning and skills within the workplace in the delivery of education, training and/or publicity using a variety of approaches. On completion of the Unit candidates will have a good knowledge of how to competently prepare, plan and deliver presentations and to reflect on best practice.

Costs

Public Sector Road Safety Professional *

Public Sector supported employee or supported consultant **

Any individual in the Private Sector

Individual participating in Core qualification (six core units)

Free of charge

£1,550.00 (50% reduction)

£3,100.00 (20% to RoSPA Members)

Individual undertaking Stand Alone Unit

Free of charge

£310

£620 (20% to RoSPA Members)

Individual participating in two or more Stand Alone Units

Free of charge

50% Discount

Full cost at £620 per unit (30% discount to RoSPA Members Non-members 10% discount)

All prices are subject to VAT at the current rate (20% at March 2016)

Delivery of concessions is fully supported by Transport Scotland and RoSPA.

Specialist Units will be released throughout the program and individual prices per unit for the private sector will be as advertised at the time of release. These will be free of charge for those qualifying under terms of Public Sector Road Safety Professional*.

* Individuals employed within the public sector in Scotland, where at least 50 per cent of their role is dedicated to road safety education/promotion, road engineering or enforcement. All applications should be endorsed by organisational road safety lead.

** Any individual seconded or undertaking a temporary posting or consultancy within a Public Sector body in Scotland for a period of at least nine months, in a post directly relating to road safety education/promotion, road engineering or enforcement. All applications should be endorsed by organisational road safety lead.